Rex Kellough 1935-2010

Rex Kellough was born October 23, 1935, in Friend, Nebraska to Leonard and Edith Kellough and died at his La Habra Heights home early Oct. 30, 2010. He lived on a farm east of Friend, doing chores and farm work, with an unobstructed view of US Hwy 6 from his living room window. In 1973 he chose to live in La Habra Heights so that his children could have the experience of "living in the country" as he did.

He started rural school at 5 years of age and attended until the school closed after 7th grade. He graduated in Friend from 8th grade, entering Friend High School in 1949. A good student he was active in athletics, playing both football and basketball.He was a cast member for both the Junior and Senior plays. A Regents scholarship was awarded to him at graduation.

In the fall of 1953 he entered Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, NE. He played Varsity football his first 2 years and was active on campus as a Barb (independent). He graduated in June of 1957 with a BA degree, having spent his junior year at the university of Nebraska-Lincoln studying Journalism, returning to NWU for his final year.

On March 23, 1957, in Havelock, NE, Rex married Wilma Price, a recent graduate of Wesleyan. They met while working in the cafeteria at school.

At graduation his draft number was "2" in Saline CO., so he tested and was accepted for Naval OCS, leaving on July 4 1957 for Newport, RI. Upon graduation and commissioning as an Ensign he was assigned to the USS DeHaven, DD 727 home port Long Beach, CA. In 1958 the ship was part of a group observing the atomic testing at Johnston Island and Enewetok for 3 months. The ship was in the Portland Rose parade in 1959, completed 2 WestPac cruises, and entered Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard in Jan. of 1960 for a FRAM overhaul, while Rex was aboard.

Rex was discharged early from the Navy,at Treasure Island,on Sept. 6, 1960 to begin Law School at Northwestern University in Chicago. Rex was a diligent student and was selected as Editor in Chief of the Law Review for the 1962-63 year, the first editor to be married and have a young child. Upon graduation, he clerked for one year for Chief Justice Jesse Udall of the Arizona Supreme Court.

Subsequently, he returned with his family to the Los Angeles area and practiced law at Hill, Farrer and Burrill where he became a partner. Later he was in private practice in Newport Beach and did a great deal of work for the American Arbitration Association.

Growing up on football (in Nebraska), he learned a "new" game "Soccer" with 2 of his children and soon was a referee and coach. With a few other parents, he was instrumental in raising the funds to cover all of the costs, for the first year, of Soccer for Boys at Sonora High School,in the fall of 1980.

Rex is survived by his wife, Wilma, of 53 years, LHH; daughter Jennifer Moore, an RN of North Platte, NE; Jeff Kellough, an aerospace engineer, LHH; and daughter Laura Ryan (Rick), a sales representative, Ft. Valley; 3 grandchildren-Adam Moore (Teena) of North Platte, NE; Connor Ryan, 10 yrs. and Kate Ryan 8 yrs. of Ft. Valley; and 3 great grandchildren; Sean 6, Trezna 6, and Syerra 3, all of North Platte, NE; brother, Max Kellough (Roberta), of Friend NE, and sister Janice Svehla (Don),of Lincoln, NE; and thirteen nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at the La Habra United Methodist Church, 631 N. Euclid, La Habra, CA, on December 21, 2010, at 2 p.m. Military honors will be presented. Rex's ashes will be scattered by plane into the water near Angels Gate Park in Palos Verdes, CA on December 22 on a path the De Haven would have taken to the "high sea".

Contributions may be made in his memory to the Cancer Society or to the La Habra United Methodist Church Senior Scholarship Fund.